


Sparks

by SunriseRose1023



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Injury, Doctor/Patient, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Injury Recovery, Light Angst, Major Character Injury, Minor Injuries, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Resolved Sexual Tension, Serious Injuries, Sexual Tension, Surgery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-31 07:11:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18586330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunriseRose1023/pseuds/SunriseRose1023
Summary: You love your job as team doctor for the Avengers. There's only one thing about it that you don't love: Bucky Barnes. The way he treats you and the things he says makes you certain he feels the same way.Right?





	Sparks

**Author's Note:**

> Anybody here for an Enemies to Lovers tale?

You limped into the living area, muttering under your breath, cursing the very air James Buchanan Barnes breathed. You threw your bag onto the couch as forcefully as you could, wincing when the motion tweaked your sore shoulder and the ribs that were broken on that side of your body. You hobbled into the kitchen, bent over because you could breathe better that way, narrowing your eyes when the rich sounds of laughter rang out behind you.

“Hey, there you are. You took off before the debriefing.”

You grunted, opening the refrigerator, gritting your teeth at the pain shooting through your body.

“Hey, you alright?”

You nodded, gritting your teeth even harder.

“Fine,  _Captain_.”

Steve’s eyes widened at the way you spit out his name.

“Hey, come here.”

You couldn’t help the gasp when he laid his hands on your shoulders. You slowly turned to face him and he sucked in a breath.

“Jesus, Y/N.”  
“I’m fine.”  
 ****“Yeah, you look fine. F.R.I.D.A.Y.?”  
 _“Yes sir?”_

You rolled your eyes at the soft, feminine voice that floated up from the hidden speakers around the room.

“Call …”

Steve’s voice trailed off.

“Who am I supposed to call when the team physician is in need of a physician?”  
“First of all, Cap, don’t call me a physician. It’s 2019. I’m a doctor.”

Steve raised an eyebrow as you went on.

“Second of all, I’m fine.”

Steve poked your side and you flinched back from him, breath catching in your throat at the pain that was rolling through you at those few movements.

“Son of a bitch!”  
“Yeah, you’re fine. F.R.I.D.A.Y., call Dr. Banner.”  
“He’s not even a real doctor.”

Steve smiled as your shoulders heaved up and down, still trying to catch your breath.

“Still got an M.D. behind his name.”

You rolled your eyes and Steve pointed towards the door.

“I  _will_ carry you.”  
“I can walk. Jesus. So pushy. Who decided you were the boss and why didn’t I get a vote?”  
“I’m a captain. I outrank you all.”

You rolled your eyes, reaching the stairs. You grasped the bannister, stepping down and stopping on the top step. You took in a sharp breath, closing your eyes and shaking your head.

“Oh, jeez.”

Steve scooped you into his arms a mere second before you passed out. He jogged down the rest of the steps, walking through the infirmary doors. Bucky was sitting on the table there, legs swinging off the side.

“Hey, where’s— oh shit.”

He hopped off the table, wincing and hopping once, shaking out his leg. Steve raised an eyebrow and Bucky sighed.

“Tweaked my ankle. I just wanted to come bother her. She alright?”  
“Yeah, looks like it, doesn’t it?”

Bucky pressed his lips together and Steve sighed.

“She was hobbling around the living area. Any idea how that could have happened?”  
“Wha—why come at me like that?”

Steve rolled his eyes, glancing up as Bruce walked into the room, wiping his glasses off on his white coat. He slid the glasses onto his face.

“You guys know I don’t do medical things, right?”  
“She did say you weren’t a real doctor.”

Bruce rolled his eyes.

“I  _am_ a  _real_ doctor. Just … in biochemistry. Not … medicine.”

Bruce walked over to the table, murmuring for Steve’s help to lift you and remove the coat you were wearing. Steve whistled softly when dark bruises on your arms were revealed.

“Christ. I didn’t know it was that bad.”

Steve and Bruce glanced at Bucky, who gently rolled his metal fingers over the bruises. Bruce cleared his throat.

“Can you go find Natasha or Wanda? I could use some help getting her in a gown and I don’t think she’d want either of you to see her like that.”

Steve nodded, lying you back on the table and stepping away, clamping a hand on Bucky’s shoulder.

“Come on, Buck.”

Bucky let out a breath, slowly nodding before turning and following Steve towards the door, stopping at the doorframe and glancing back at you.

* * *

 

“Hey. How you feeling?”

You grunted, making Wanda giggle. You shuffled into the kitchen and pulled open the fridge, taking out a bottle of water and wincing as you twisted the top. You took a sip and sighed, turning slowly and shuffling towards Wanda. She was sitting back with her arms crossed, watching you, the spoon in her tea slowly stirring in a circle. You shook your head, a soft smile on your face as you set your water bottle on the table across from her.

“Show off.”

She smiled.

“I’m tired of using my hands.”  
“Not all of us have that luxury, you know.”  
“You need me to stir your water, Doc?”  
“Smart ass.”

Wanda laughed, and you sucked in a breath before letting it out slowly. Wanda’s spoon settled against the side of the cup and she lifted it to her lips before setting it on a napkin. She picked up the cup and took a sip, then spoke softly.

“You feeling any better?”

You tilted your head from side to side.

“My ribs hurt like a bitch. Bruce said there were three completely broken and two cracked. I’m all wrapped up like a cocoon, but it still hurts.”  
“Anything I can do?”  
“Yeah, grab me a few dozen Tylenols.”

Wanda laughed, but the cabinet near the sink opened and an industrial-sized bottle of the painkillers floated into Wanda’s hand. You laughed, one hand grabbing your side and whining until she opened the bottle and shook two pills into her hand. She handed them to you and you nodded, shaking your head as the top twisted off your water bottle.

“You’re the real MVP, Wanda.”

She grinned and you downed the pills, draining most of the water bottle. You closed your eyes and just breathed for a moment, forcing your lungs to expand through the pain. After a few deep, painful breaths, Wanda spoke.

“So how exactly did you get all banged up?”

Your nose wrinkled.

“Oh, yeah. You got to sit out this little ‘milk run,’ didn’t you?”

She nodded and you sighed as you blinked your eyes open.

“I just started training, you know? Tony  _finally_ agreed to let me out of the compound on something other than a doctor basis. And what happens? Bucky freakin’ Barnes. He’s all ‘you good?’ when I am most certainly not good. But he didn’t even ask, you know? I mean he did ask, but he didn’t stick around to hear the answer! All he thinks about is his own damn self.”  
“I’m sure he didn’t do it on purpose.”

You shot her a look that had her shrinking back, hands up in an apologetic way. You shook your head.

“He’s such a …  _dick_. I could have died out there, you know?”

Wanda nodded sympathetically and you shook your head.

“Well, I’m sure that was my first and last mission. At least, it will be once Tony gets back. But, until then—“  
“Everyday you’re shufflin’?”

You glared at Sam as he walked into the room, sweatshirt soaked from his run. He cackled as he walked to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water that he drained. You shook your head, not even dignifying him with a response as you … damn it. You shuffled back towards your room.

“Hey, crip! How goes it?”

You heard Wanda sharp inhale, Sam’s soft groan, all followed by Steve’s fatherly sigh. You glared over your shoulder at Bucky, who wiggled his eyebrows at you. You rolled your eyes, picking up your shuffling pace again, but lifting the hand on your uninjured side, flipping Bucky off and making Sam laugh.

* * *

 

As the weeks went on, your injuries lessened to the point where you could go almost a full day without feeling pain. Tony, as you’d expected, fully blew a gasket when he got home and was given a report of your injuries. He banished you to the clinic, and Pepper promised you that she’d work on him, but you resigned yourself to the fact that you’d just be the Avengers’ doctor, instead of an Avenger yourself.

Luckily for you, being the Avengers’ doctor was an almost full-time job. You patched at least one of them up on a daily basis, some more than others (i.e. Clint and Sam). You also kept busy on a direct video line to Wakanda, where you were working on a project with Shuri.

You’d just signed off with her when the doors to the clinic burst open, Bucky rushing in with a limp Natasha in his arms. You turned to face him, motioning to a room that he ran into, laying her on the table, babbling almost incoherently as he pushed his fingers through his hair. You noticed that Natasha was breathing fine, and pressing your fingers to her neck, you felt how strong her pulse was. There was no visible bleeding or any other sort of injury, so you turned back to Bucky. His eyes were wide and his skin was pale, and you walked to stand in front of him, reaching up and grabbing his face in your hands, yanking him down to your level.

“Breathe.”

He stared at you, and you threaded your fingers into his hair, tugging gently.

“Breathe, Barnes.”

He did, following your lead at inhaling and holding the breath before exhaling slowly. You nodded and he nodded back at you.

“What happened?”

He shook his head, which was still in your hands.

“I don’t know. One minute she was fine, the next, she just crumpled. She’s been out cold ever since.”  
“How long ago did she pass out?”

He shook his head again.

“Ten, twenty minutes?”  
“Anybody else around do like her?”

He shook his head, and you finally moved your hands from him. You felt your cheeks heat up as you turned away from him and Bucky lifted a hand to brush against his cheek. He tilted his head when he saw you combing through Nat’s fiery hair.

“What are you doing?”  
“I’m thinking tranq, but I don’t know where. It’s not obvious.”

Bucky watched you as you held her face, studying it before you began unbuttoning her blouse.

“You can go now.”  
“What if you need help?”  
“Then I’ll call for it. She’ll kill us both if she finds out you were here when I undressed her.”  
“She and I have a pretty extensive background together, you know.”  
“And if you’d like any kind of future, you’ll show yourself out.”

Bucky rolled his eyes, but made his way to the door. He held a hand on the knob, then shook his head, opening it and walking away.

* * *

 

Natasha had fallen victim to a new kind of tranquilizer. This new kind pretty much dissolves through clothing, until it latches onto skin, where it quickly takes effect. She was more pissed off than anything else, once she’d woken up hours later.

You sat in your office and tapped a pen against the notepad you had on the desk. You couldn’t shake how scared Bucky had looked, how downright frantic he seemed, and the way he calmed almost instantly when you put your hands on him. You’d never noticed just how blue his eyes were until you were staring into them from only inches away.

You huffed out a breath and tossed the pen onto the desk. You crossed your arms over your chest and glared at the wall.

Bucky had been nothing but a pain in your ass since you stepped foot into the Avengers compound. He’d started out being short with you, questioning your skills, refusing to let you treat his very minor injuries that were soon cured by the serum pumping through his veins. You’d grown to dread seeing him at any point during your day, so naturally, once Tony convinced you to move in, since missions happened at all hours of the day and night and injuries had no timeline, he’d placed you in a room just down the hall from Bucky’s.

Of course, Bucky didn’t use his room all that much. Claimed he’d slept enough in his hundred years. He didn’t say that to you—you’d overheard him talking with Wanda once day. He was surprisingly gentle with her.

As time went on, his bristliness wore off, and he went from prickly and standoffish to downright annoying the living hell out of you. When you expressed your desire to go out on a mission, Steve let you train with Bucky a total of one times, before you threatened to grab a gun and shoot him or else dunk him in water and let his arm rust off. Steve took over your training then.

Wasn’t enough, because when you finally did get to go on a mission, the person you thought would have your back all but fed you to the wolves.

Your all-but-healed ribs gave a painful throb then, as if to drive home the point. You sighed, shaking your head. You and Barnes were nothing but acquaintances. Enemies, would be more like it. He annoyed the shit out of you and you had to constantly talk yourself out of seeing just how much sedative it would take to make the former Winter Soldier pliant.

Or, even better, comatose.

* * *

 

You studied the cards in your hand, picking one up from the deck. You tried to keep your face from showing that it was the card you needed, and as you discarded your final card, you laid your cards out on the table.

“Gin.”  
“Son of a bitch.”

You laughed at Clint, who laid his cards down and jammed a finger on the table.

“One card. I’ve needed one damn card for the last seven rounds.”

He groaned and leaned back in his chair and Natasha scooped the cards up, bringing them closer to her and beginning to shuffle them. You smiled and grabbed a chip from the bowl between you and Clint, popping it in your mouth.

“What is that, five to one now?”  
“Don’t you even start.”

Natasha laughed as she shuffled.

“She’s a shark, Clint. Didn’t you know?”  
“Apparently not.”

You shrugged your shoulders, popping another chip into your mouth.

“Gambling, really?”

You couldn’t stop the laugh as Steve walked up, hands on his hips and what you’d lovingly named his “disappointed dad” look on his face. He shook his head, but Bucky pulled out the chair next to Natasha.

“Deal me in. What are we playing?”  
“Doc’s kicking our asses in gin.”  
“Rummy?”

You rolled your eyes, eating another chip instead of giving the snarky remark on your tongue. Natasha nodded, finally satisfied with her shuffling. She began dealing the cards and Steve sighed, pulling out the chair next to you.

“Might as well join in.”  
“Look at ol’ Cap, giving in to peer pressure.”  
“Oh, you just hush.”

You laughed, waiting until Natasha had dealt everyone’s cards before you picked up your hand. It really wasn’t your fault that this was your game. You moved a few cards around, keeping them close to you, because you knew Steve had a wandering eye, as much as he’d deny it. You let the game go through two rounds, drawing a card and laying it on the discard pile.

“Gin.”  
“Oh, are you kidding me?”  
“I’m done with you.”

You laughed as Clint pushed his chair back from the table, taking your empty beers and carrying them to the kitchen. Steve leaned over, studying your cards, then shaking his head.

“Did you cheat?”  
“Nope. I’m just lucky.”

Bucky snorted and you clenched your teeth together, refusing to give in. You pushed your chair back from the table and stood up.

“I’m grabbing some more snacks. Any requests?”

Natasha raised her hand.

“The hummus we brought back from Lebanon.”

You nodded, and Steve looked up at you.

“Do we have anymore of those strawberries from Louisiana?”  
“I think so.”

He winked at you and you looked over at Bucky. He lifted his chin.

“I want some—“  
“Don’t care.”

You turned and walked out, leaving Steve and Natasha nearly falling off of their chairs with laughter. You were smiling when you met Clint in the kitchen and he raised an eyebrow at you. You shook your head, going to the refrigerator for the snack requests.

“What exactly is it about Barnes that rubs you the wrong way?”

Your eyes widened as you turned from the fridge, staring at him.

“What?”  
“You heard me. Soon as he walks in, you get all … prickly. Why?”

You shrugged your shoulders.

“He doesn’t like me.”  
“And you don’t like him back?”  
“He’s never been my buddy, Clint. He’s not like you or Nat. We started off on the wrong foot and it’s just been downhill ever since.”  
“Why don’t you give him a chance?”  
“Because the last time I did, I ended up with five broken ribs.”

Clint made a face.

“Fair enough.”

You shook your head, grabbing a platter out of one of the cabinets and loading it down with snacks. Clint grabbed enough beers for the table, and the two of you made your way back into the room. You scattered the snacks among those who requested them, sitting in your chair and watching Bucky shuffle the cards. You hated to admit it, but you were kind of fascinated by his metal arm. You knew how deadly it could be; you’d seen it firsthand. But, like now, he was shuffling the cards almost gently. The arm seemed to be an anomaly in itself.

“Earth to the good doctor.”

You blinked, cheeks flushing when you looked to Steve.

“What?”

He smiled that pristine toothpaste advertisement grin of his and you rolled your eyes.

“I said, Buck wants to switch the game up. Are you such a shark at poker?”

You shrugged.

“I can hold my own.”  
“Yeah, we’ll see.”

You narrowed your eyes at Clint as he popped the top on his beer and tossed it into the trash can across the room.

Four hands later, you and Bucky were neck-and-neck. Steve had won the first round, but you and Bucky had switched off every other. Steve, Natasha, and Clint were really just watching now, playing just enough to get the game going before folding.

You tapped a finger on the cards in your hand, looking across the table at Bucky. He had a deep frown on his face, lines carved into his forehead as he studied his cards. The way tonight was going, along with the beers you’d had, gave you a little more courage than you usually would.

“Hey, Barnes.”

He nodded at you, not pulling his eyes from his cards.

“Want to make this a little more interesting?”  
“I’m not playing strip poker, no matter how much you beg.”

Steve nearly spit his beer out, while Natasha bent over laughing. You rolled your eyes, glancing at the cards on the table.

“You’re such a jerk.”

Bucky looked up then, giving you a wink and a smile.

“What’re you thinking?”

You shrugged your shoulders.

“If I win, then you clean my clinic for a month.”  
“And when I win?”  
“If you win … I don’t know. Whatever.”

Bucky licked his lips, glancing down at his cards before bringing his eyes back to you. You swallowed at the look he gave you, your traitorous mind going places you’d never imagined before. He lifted his metal arm, thumb swiping over his bottom lip before coming to rest on the table. You missed the way Natasha’s eyes widened, how she looked to Clint who just shook his head once, shushing her silently.

“You know those … those things that you bake?”

You rolled your eyes, but nodded. Bucky’s sweet tooth was legendary in the compound, and he’d made no qualms in letting everyone know that while he didn’t care for you, you could bake like a wizard. He leveled his eyes at you.

“When I win, you make me whatever I want, whenever I want.”

You pushed a smile forward.

“Deal.”

He nodded, and you took in a breath, turning your cards over.

“Straight, in diamonds.”

Clint whistled low and all eyes turned to Bucky. He bit his bottom lip, then sighed, turning his cards face down on the table.

“I fold.”

You jumped up, punching your fists in the air. You laughed as Natasha ran around the table, putting her head down, whispering to you about how exactly you managed that. You wrapped an arm around her waist and the two of you made your way into the kitchen.

Bucky watched you leave, oblivious to Clint and Steve stealthily turning his cards over.

“What the hell, man?”

Bucky looked to Clint, sighing when he saw his cards face-up.

“Don’t.”  
“You had a royal flush. You beat her.”  
“Shut up, Clint.”  
“But a flush beats a straight every time!”  
“Shut  _up_ , Clint.”

Bucky pushed away from the table, rubbing a hand over his head as he walked away. Clint looked to Steve, who shook his head as he leaned back in his chair.

“He’s got it bad.”

Clint huffed out a breath, leaning back in his own chair and propping his feet on the table.

“Almost as bad as she does.”

Steve nodded, crossing his arms over his chest, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

* * *

 

“This is bullshit.”

Steve laughed from his perch on the counter, taking a healthy bite of the apple he’d snagged from the kitchen. Bucky grumbled under his breath as he pushed a mop back and forth, cursing when he hit a tile that was slightly uneven, snagging one of the curls of the mophead. Steve shook his head.

“If you hate cleaning so much, then why did you let her win that poker game?”  
“Momentary lapse.”

Steve rolled his eyes, taking another bite of apple. Bucky stopped and held the mop upright, resting his regular arm on it.

“What do you think of her?”  
“Doc?”

Bucky nodded, and Steve swallowed the bite he was chewing.

“I like her. She’s very intelligent. Good at her job.”  
“I don’t want to hire her, Stevie. Jeez. I mean as a person.”

Steve smiled, bouncing his shoulders once.

“She’s nice. Funny. Genuine. She’s fun to be around.”

He took another bite of the apple, then tossed the core into the trash can across the room.

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Buck. You want me to sell you on her? I don’t think you really need me to do that.”

Bucky hung his head, going back to pushing the mop across the floor. Steve smiled and looked down at his hands.

“You remember second grade?”  
“Vaguely. It’s buried under some HYDRA bullshit.”

Steve sighed.

“There was a little girl in our class. She sat … across the row from me. In front of you.”  
“Are you talking about … what was her name? Nancy? The girl with the two brown pigtails?”  
“Yes!”

Bucky shook his head.

“Why the hell are you thinking about her?”  
“It’s not so much her that I’m thinking of. Do you remember how you dipped her pigtails in the blue paint?”

Bucky smiled.

“My dad tore my ass up after that.”  
“And she asked you to push her on the swings and you wouldn’t.”  
“Because she had cooties. All the girls back then had cooties. Except my ma.”  
“And when we made those puppets out of the brown paper grocery sacks, you ripped hers in half.”

Bucky sighed, propping up on the mop again.

“Is there a point to this stroll down memory lane, Grandpa?”

Steve smiled.

“You liked her.”  
“We were kids.”  
“But you thought she was pretty. You told me that.”  
“I also told you that if you ever told anyone else, I’d knock your teeth down your throat.”

Steve rolled his eyes.

“I’d like to see you try.”  
“You’re not exactly the scrawny little shrimp you used to be, Stevie.”

Steve smiled, then met Bucky’s eyes again.

“My point is … you like Y/N. Just as much—if not more—than you liked Nancy with her pigtails.”  
“I do not.”  
“You liar.”

Bucky huffed out a breath, taking his mop and walking out of the room. Steve laughed, swinging his legs off the edge of the counter, shaking his head.

* * *

 

You flipped another sandwich in the pan on the stove, waiting a few moments before sliding it out of the pan and onto the plate where a monstrous stack already waited. You picked up the plate and walked down to the conference room, knocking twice before opening the door.

“Oh, Doc.  _Yes_.”

You winked at Sam before you set the sandwiches in the middle of the table, laughing under your breath when the Avengers attacked the plate like a bunch of animals. Tony sauntered towards you, a sandwich in one hand that he took a bite of as he stopped in front of you, narrowing his eyes.

“I thought I banished you from the conference room.”  
“I can take my sandwiches and go—“  
“No!”

You laughed at the chorus of negative responses, and even Tony couldn’t help but smile. He shook his head and you lifted your shoulders.

“I’m not here to be briefed. You’d all been in here for a while and I thought you might need …”  
“Sustenance.”  
“Exactly. Thanks, Thor.”

He gave you a thumbs up— _much_ better than when he’d flipped you off without truly understanding what that meant a few weeks prior—and reached for another sandwich. Tony nodded, taking a bite and turning away from you. You glanced towards the screen that all but filled up one wall, blinking when you saw the photos. You tore your eyes away when Natasha cleared her throat and you glanced to her. She shrugged, giving you a wink. You swallowed, pushing a smile onto your face.

“When do you roll out?”

Quiet fell over the room until Bucky spoke up.

“1700 hours.”

You nodded, glancing at your watch before looking back at the screen. You licked your lips.

“Be careful.”

You turned to leave, stopping at the door and glancing back, surprised to find a pair of ice blue eyes looking back at you.

* * *

 

You paced around the entire compound while everyone was gone. You cleaned every space you could, including Wanda’s room, which she’d given you an open invitation to any time, and Thor’s, because he never minded or really bothered to clean much. You scrubbed the showers while wearing a mask you’d brought up from the clinic. You slept on the couch in the living room, jolting awake at regular intervals, at any little noise, until F.R.I.D.A.Y. lulled you to sleep with ambient noise and a promise that she’d wake you if something happened.

Five days went by without a word from anyone. F.R.I.D.A.Y. kept you up-to-date as best she could, but your heart leapt to your throat and set up camp there when she stopped updating you and went quiet.

You sat in your clinic, on the floor that you knew was clean, hands clasped together, eyes closed. You refused to check the news or anything else, knowing that it would just drive you out of your mind with worry. Well … more than you already were.

“ _Doctor_.”

You opened your eyes, unable to speak. F.R.I.D.A.Y. must have sensed that, because she went ahead and briefed you.

_“The quinjet is sixty miles out. They’ve got a critical patient on board.”  
_ “Who is it, F.R.I.D.A.Y.?”  
 _“Agent Barton.”_

You groaned, pushing yourself to your feet.

“Goddamn it, Clint. Laura’s going to kill me.”

You walked towards the scrub room, tying up your hair and shoving it under a scrub cap on the way.

“How bad is it?”  
 _“Three gunshot wounds. Vitals are very low.”_  
“Give ‘em to me.”

You tied a mask on your face as F.R.I.D.A.Y. spoke, stepping over to the sink and stepping on the button that turns the water on.

_“Blood pressure seventy over forty. Respirations of nine. Heartbeat is eighty-two and falling.”_  
“Damn it, Clint.”

You scrubbed your nails and your hands, your forearms all the way up to your elbows. You tried to steady your breathing, looking into the sterile room where one of your friends would soon be rushed into.

_“They’re here, Doctor.”_

You swallowed, nodding your head, stepping through the doors and over to the table where your instruments waited. You dried your hands on the special towels, slipping on a gown and tying it. You slid your hands into the sterile gloves, breathing in through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. The mask tended to make you feel claustrophobic, but you knew that would all fade as soon as Clint was rolled into the room.

Tony had decked out your medical suite with nothing but top-of-the-line equipment. The best part, according to you, was the full-body scan that occurred just before the patient entered the operating room. Despite your best efforts, Tony insisted on the gallery, and you tried your best not to look up to see all your friends staring down, watching you attempt to save the lives of the people on your table.

You heard the clicks and whirrs that signaled an incoming patient, and you took in a breath just as the doors opened and the stretcher wheeled into the room. You walked to the table as the side rails dropped, breath catching in your throat when you saw Clint’s face. You shook your head and grabbed a pair of scissors from your table.

“It’s your lucky day, Barton. Welcome to the Fun Zone. F.R.I.D.A.Y., pull up the body scan.”

She did, and you looked at it as you cut Clint’s clothes away.

_“Three entry wounds, but only one exit.”_  
“He would make it as difficult as he could. The shoulder was a through-and-through?”  
 _“Appears that way.”_

You nodded, squinting your eyes.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y., enhance the liver.”

She did, and you breathed a sigh of relief when it appeared unscathed.

“Now the kidneys.”

You grabbed a sheet, draping it over the lower half of Clint’s body before you picked up a scalpel.

“Spleen.”

F.R.I.D.A.Y. enlarged the spleen for you, and you shook your head.

“Let’s do the upper portion of the small intestine.”  
 _“Doctor, his blood pressure is bottoming out.”_  
“Shit.”

You stared at the scan, eyes widening.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y., enlarge the thoracic cavity.”

She did, and you cursed under your breath. You looked down at Clint’s chest, swallowing before you pressed the scalpel into his flesh. The machine that worked as your scrub nurse handed you the different instruments you needed without you having to ask for them. You looked up at the scan again, shaking your head and cracking Clint’s chest open, watching the cavity fill with blood.

“You are not doing this to me today, Barton. Not today.”

The machine beside you turned the suction on, and you did your best not to let the sight or the sound turn your stomach. You looked back up at the scan, tilting your neck from side to side, hearing a soft cracking before you settled in to work.

* * *

 

“Al… most … got it!”

You held the bullet up, shaking your head.

“Little bastard.”

You heard applause, and you looked up, feeling your cheeks heat when you saw Natasha’s relief and Tony’s proud papa smile. You rolled your eyes, dropping the bullet into the small basin the machine brought over to you. You lifted your eyes back to the scan and shook your head.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y., where’s the other bullet?”  
 _“You were wanting to check the small intestine.”_

You shook your head.

“It’s not there.”  
 _“I can bring up—“_

Alarms began blaring and you cursed as you grabbed towels to try and clear away the blood suddenly filling Clint’s chest again. The sound of the suction was roaring in your ears as you reached a hand in, gently moving Clint’s heart out of the way.

“Damn it. Damn it!”  
 _“Doctor?”  
“_The bullet traveled up to his heart. Put him on bypass.”

F.R.I.D.A.Y. did as you asked, as well as turning on the countdown clock on the wall. You worked as quickly as you could, deliberately ignoring the gallery, where you were sure Tony and Natasha still were. Time seemed to drag on, even as it flew by.

_“Doctor, he’s been under too long.”  
“_I’ve almost got it.”  
 _“He needs to come off bypass in the next thirty seconds.”_  
“I know, F.R.I.D.A.Y., but I’ve almost got it.”  
 _“Doctor, you’re risking permanent brain damage—“_  
“I know the risks! Just shut up for one minute.”

The seconds ticked by loudly in the silence of the room. Just as the last second clicked down on the clock on the wall, you lifted the bullet from Clint’s heart.

“Got it. Take him off.”

F.R.I.D.A.Y. turned off the machines and you stared at the screen beside the table. A flat line was all that appeared and you nodded.

“Charge to 200.”

The machine beside you whirred into action and you lifted your hands.

“Shock.”

Clint’s body twitched on the table, but the flat line remained on the screen.

“250.”

The machine whirred again and you kept your hands lifted.

“Shock.”

Another twitch, but the flat line still remained. You swallowed.

“300.”

You kept your eyes on the screen, clenching your hands into fists.

“Shock.”

Clint’s body gave a bigger twitch, and before you could say anything, a blip appeared on the screen. A steady, rising heartbeat, along with a normal blood pressure, made you give a sigh of relief, hanging your head as grateful tears came to your eyes. You nodded, draping a section of what looked like plastic wrap over Clint’s chest. Once it was in place, his bed moved to take him to a room down the hall, where Dr. Cho’s fancy machine would close him up without any stitches and minimal scarring.

You blew out a breath, reaching back and untying your gown, dropping it into a bin, followed by your gloves. You looked up then, a soft smile crossing your face when Tony gave you a thumbs up. Natasha, surprisingly, had her eyes closed while encased in Bruce’s arms. He smiled at you and you gave him a nod. You left the operating room, yanking the mask off your face as you went back to the scrub room to re-wash your hands and arms.

_“Doctor, there’s another incoming.”_

You stopped, removing your foot from the water pedal.

“What? Who?”  
 _“Captain Rogers has radioed in. They were caught in an ambush.”_  
“Who’s hurt, F.R.I.D.A.Y.?”  
 _“Sergeant Barnes.”_

Your heart gave a stutter in your chest. You blinked, shaking your head.

“He’s got the serum. What will I be able to do?”  
 _“It seems he’s bleeding out faster than the serum can work.”_

You sucked in a breath then, tying another mask on your face and stomping on the water pedal, washing your hands as thoroughly and quickly as you could. The machines worked double-time to renew the operating room, setting out new instruments and sterilizing the place. You walked into the room and dried your hands, slipping into a gown and new gloves.

The door opened and the stretcher was brought in. Your breath caught in your throat when you caught sight of him, pale and still on the bed. You swallowed.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y., show me the body scan.”

She projected it onto the wall for you and your eyes widened when you saw the blood filling his belly.

“Doc.”

You glanced up, seeing Steve’s terrified face in the gallery. He stood beside the intercom on the wall and you shook your head as you looked back to Bucky. .

“What the hell happened, Steve?”  
“I don’t know. He—damn idiot pushed me out of the way. There was a knife. I don’t—he passed out and he won’t wake up.”  
“Must have nicked an artery.”

You reached back and picked up a scalpel, stopping when you heard Steve’s choked voice.

“Doc, you … you gotta save him. Please, just … don’t let him die.”

You swallowed, looking up and seeing the tears sparkling in Steve’s eyes. You shook your head.

“Bruce?”

He stepped closer to the speaker on the wall.

“Yeah?”  
“Get him out of here.”

You heard Steve begin to protest, Tony’s voice begin to speak, Bruce’s stammering refusal, and you let out a hard laugh.

“If you want me to save his life, then you better get Captain America and his watery, puppy dog, ‘please save my best friend’ eyes out of here because I can’t stand it. I’m sorry, Steve. But you’ve got to go.”

You heard Steve begging them to let him stay, heard Tony gently ushering him out, promising to take the blame if something went wrong. You shook your head.

“Nothing’s going wrong. Not today. You hear me, Barnes? You’re not dying on me today. Too many damn people have tried to take out the Winter Soldier and I will be damned if I let you fall to … whoever the hell did this.”

You shook your head, laying the scalpel aside and suctioning some of the blood out of Bucky’s abdomen.

“Jesus, there’s so much blood. F.R.I.D.A.Y., shift the scan twenty-five degrees, and remove the abdominal organs.”

She did, and you studied the branches of arteries and veins.

“Zoom in ten percent.”

She did, and you felt around as you studied the scan. Your eyebrows lifted.

“Zoom in to the abdominal aorta, six centimeters below the kidneys.”

She did, and you shook your head.

“Son of a bitch. There you are.”

You grabbed some sutures and sewed up the small nick you’d discovered.

_“No other internal injuries detected, other than soft tissue swelling to his face and extremities.”_  
“Thank God for small favors. What’s his blood levels?”  
 _“Low. He’s not replenishing the way he should.”_

You shook your head.

“Probably a result of the serum. He should kick it up soon.”  
 _“Doctor, his platelets are dangerously low.”_  
“How low?”

F.R.I.D.A.Y. brought Bucky’s lab results up for you and you let out a shaky breath.

“Damn it. He needs blood and he needs it now.”

You closed your eyes as F.R.I.D.A.Y. said what you were afraid she’d say.

_“The available units were sent to Chicago after the mass shooting there.”_  
“Damn it. Bring up Barnes’ file. What blood type is he?”  
 _“A negative, Doctor.”_

You lifted your head.

“Are you kidding me?”

F.R.I.D.A.Y. didn’t answer, and you shook your head.

“Is there anyone else in this compound with A negative blood?”  
 _“No one but you, Doctor.”_

You let out a laugh, shaking your head.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y., get Dr. Banner in here now.”

You finished the last suture on Bucky’s side and looked at his pale face.

“You owe me, Barnes.”

You pushed back, pulling your gown off and tossing your gloves into the trash bin. You picked up a few things and set them on the table, unrolling tubing and hooking it up, grabbing an alcohol pad and swiping it across your arm. You glanced up as Bruce stepped into the scrub room and you shook your head.

“He’s closed. I need you in here now.”

Bruce stepped through the door, holding a mask to his face.

“I don’t do medical things. How many times do I have to tell you?”  
“You can start an IV, right?”  
“Of course.”  
“Here. Start one on me.”

Bruce’s eyebrows furrowed over the mask.

“What? Why?”  
“Barnes needs blood now and I’m the only one with the same blood type.”

Bruce shook his head.

“Somebody here’s got to be O negative.”  
“I don’t have time to check. Come on. If you don’t do it, I’m going to and I’d rather not butcher my arm if I can help it. ”

Bruce huffed out a breath and you shook the needle towards him. He grabbed it from you and you nodded, holding your arm out towards him.

“There’s a juicy one right in the crook. Go for it.”  
“Don’t make me nervous.”  
“Don’t turn green and we’ll be fine.”

Bruce let out a laugh at that and you sucked in a breath as he slid the needle into your vein. You pressed your lips together as he connected one end of the tubing, and the two of you watched as blood from your arm began traveling through the tubing and disappearing into Bucky’s arm.

“Turn it wide open.”  
“We’ll let it go for a minute, then slow it down.”  
“He needs all he can get, Bruce.”  
“Yeah, but we don’t want to drain you dry in the meantime.”

You shifted, making a face as the tubes pulled at your arm.

“You better sit down before your legs give out.”  
“I’m fine.”  
“Have you given blood before? Do they let you stand up while you give it? No, because they’re removing blood from your body. Stop trying to be a hero and sit down.”

You sat on the end of Bucky’s bed, blinking widely. Bruce lifted your chin with his hand.

“You okay?”

You nodded, lifting your other arm, weakly batting his hand away. Bruce looked at you with that same worried look and shook his head.

“Hey, talk to me.”

You shook your head.

“It’s … I think it’s the serum.”  
“What about the serum?”  
“It’s like … a vacuum. Hard and fast.”

Bruce glanced over, seeing how pink and healthy Bucky now appeared, while you grew paler by the second. Bruce shook his head.

“We need to stop.”

He reached for your arm and you shook your head, weakly batting at his hands.

“He needs it.”  
“Not at the risk of killing you.”  
“Don’t … stop.”  
“Doc, you’re going to lose consciousness soon.”  
“Don’t … let …  him … die.”

The last thing you heard was Bruce’s frantic voice before the darkness that had been dancing at the edges of your vision suddenly swooped in and sucked you under.

* * *

 

You slowly blinked your eyes open, feeling beyond exhausted. Your body seemed too heavy, and you would have closed your eyes again, had you not noticed the flash of red in the corner.

Natasha smiled as she stood, walking over to you.

“Hey, Doc. How you feeling?”  
“Tired.”

Your voice was hoarse and Natasha turned away, returning with a cup with a straw in it.

“Small sips.”

You nodded, taking a sip and giving a soft moan at the cool water soothing your dry mouth. Natasha took the cup back and you smacked your lips, letting out a sigh.

“You want the lecture now or later?”

You smiled as you closed your eyes.

“Give me five minutes.”

Natasha smiled, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Do you know how dangerous that was? What might have happened if Bruce hadn’t been there?”  
“That’s why … I called him. I knew he’d … take care of me.”  
“Well, you needed blood yourself after that. Tony had to fly to Montana to get it.”

You glanced to the side, looking up and seeing an almost-empty bag hanging on the pole connected to your bed, bright red running through a tube into your arm.

“Is Bucky okay?”

Natasha snorted.

“Seriously? After everything that happened here, he’s who you’re worried about?”  
“Nat, I’m going to be sick.”

She softened, rushing to help you sit up and holding your hair back as you threw up into the trash can she handed you. She wiped your mouth when you were through, helping you lay back down, wiping the tears from your cheeks. She sighed.

“He hasn’t woken up yet.”  
“How … how long?”  
“It’s been twenty-seven hours since you passed out in the O.R.”

You blinked, shaking your head.

“He should … be awake … by now.”

Natasha nodded.

“All his tests are back to normal. F.R.I.D.A.Y. has orders to scan him twice a day. There’s no reason why he’s still out.”

You sighed, reaching up a hand and rubbing it on the end of your nose. Natasha smiled.

“You feeling any better?”  
“Maybe a … little.”

Natasha smiled, pulling the blanket up as you shivered.

“Steve’s been bouncing from your room to Bucky’s. He said he’s still mad at you for banishing him from the gallery.”  
“I am not.”

You smiled as Steve stepped into the room, taking hold of Natasha’s shoulders and kissing her cheek. She stepped back and he knelt beside your bed, taking your hand.

“How you feeling?”  
“Like I got hit by a truck.”

He smiled, reaching to brush your hair back.

“You saved his life.”

You rolled your head to look him in the eye.

“I couldn’t let him die, Steve. I just did what … any doctor would do.”  
“I don’t know many doctors who would stick a needle in their own arm for a patient.”  
“Maybe she’s saying he’s not just a patient.”

You rolled your head back, staring up at the ceiling and sighing. Steve’s thumb rolled over the back of your hand and you closed your eyes. Natasha laid her hands on Steve’s shoulders, gently kneading them.

“Rest, Doc. We’ll be here when you wake up.”

* * *

 

It took you longer than anticipated to recover from being Bucky’s blood donor. Bruce and Tony were working overtime to try and figure out why the serum had reacted the way it did, nearly sucking your blood supply dry to reinforce Bucky’s. Bucky had woken up an hour after you, with no memory of the mission, but feeling better than he had in years.

He avoided you, though. Even when Bruce had deemed you healthy enough to return to work, Bucky wouldn’t step foot in the clinic. It was spotless every time you stepped through the doors, though.

You found yourself in the kitchen more often, perfecting recipes you’d long memorized, even taking the time to come up with some new ones of your own. You often found yourself wondering what Bucky would think of the desserts, and you often tried to take a plate to his room, but you’d always chicken out and leave before you would see him.

* * *

 

You had entirely too much time on your hands. Not that you’d want your team to go on a mission and come back needing you, but you were kind of antsy. You were in one of your clinic rooms, building a house out of tongue depressors and Q-tips when a sudden, blaring alarm began sounding, the power shutting off and red lights flashing. You jumped off of the stool you were sitting on, hands going to cover your ears.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. what the hell is going on?!”  
 _“It seems the compound has been breached.”_  
“Breached?! What do you mean ‘breached?!’”

She didn’t answer and you felt your heart begin to pound in your chest. You felt your breathing speed up, feeling claustrophobic in the clinic, but unsure of what you needed to do. You looked around, trying to remember where things that you could use as weapons were stocked, going still and covering your mouth in order not to scream as a large figure loomed in the flashing red lights.

“Doc, you okay?”

You could have cried when you heard his voice. You rushed to him, metal arm wrapping around your waist. You shook your head, laying a hand to his thick chest.

“What’s going on?”

Bucky shook his head.

“HYDRA goons. Steve and Tony have it handled.”  
“I wouldn’t be so sure.”

Your eyes widened as you ducked in a breath. The two of you looked over to see a man stepping forward with what appeared to be a machine gun in his hand. Bucky stepped forward, subtly pushing you behind him and shielding you with his body. The man smiled, speaking in Russian, using words you didn’t understand, but you couldn’t miss the way Bucky went completely still, spine ramrod straight.

“Fuck you. Never again. I will never—“

The man replied in Russian, and you watched Bucky hang his head, teeth bared and eyes squeezed shut. As the man spoke again, Bucky groaned and you rushed to him, covering one of his ears with your hand, putting your lips right at his other ear.

“Tony built a panic room. We can get to it from any room in the clinic. Once I press the button, we’ve got eight seconds to get in, but once we’re in, we’re there until he puts the code in to let us out.”  
“Go.”  
“I’m not going without you.”

He lifted his head and you covered his other ear with your hand. He stared into your eyes, both of you flinching when the man fired off a round from his gun. Bucky’s eyes hardened, and you grabbed his hand, squeezing it and taking off at a run. Bucky followed as the man began shooting, covering you with his body as best you could. You reached the supply closet of the room, pressed the button only you knew about, and the floor gave way, letting you slide into the panic room. Bucky was right behind you, and just like you were hoping, the floor righted itself before the man could join you.

You were breathing hard, heart racing as your legs crumpled beneath you and you sat on the floor.

“You okay?”  
“Ad—adrenaline rush.”

Bucky nodded, groaning as he sat beside you. You glanced to him and sucked in a breath before crawling to him.

“Jesus.”  
“I’m fine.”

You huffed out a breath, going up on your knees and studying the bleeding wound on his shoulder.

“I think he just grazed you.”  
“Like I said, I’m fine.”

You rolled your eyes.

“I’ve certainly had enough of you bleeding, so will you just shut up and let me help you?”

Bucky tossed his hair back out of his face to meet your eyes. He sighed and you pushed to your feet, going to a small cabinet in the room and opening it up. Inside, you’d stocked a first aid kit with all the medical equipment you could. You grabbed some gauze and some tape, making your way back to him.

“Take your shirt off.”  
“What, you’re not even going to try to buy me dinner first?”

You rolled your eyes.

“Just take the damn shirt off. You’re bleeding all over it anyway.”

Bucky sighed, wincing as he shifted and removed his shirt. You made a face when you saw the jagged gash along the upper part of his bicep, taking hold of one of the alcohol wipes you’d grabbed. Bucky bared his teeth and hissed out a breath when you swiped the alcohol over his skin, and you pursed your lips, gently blowing on his wound. You laid a few pieces of gauze down, taping them as best you could, knowing the serum that coursed through his veins would probably heal him before the tape even settled against his skin.

“Okay. You’re good. Anything else hurt?”

Bucky shook his head, glancing down at where your fingers were still gently resting against the thick muscle of his arm. You swallowed, moving your hands, moving them and setting them in your lap.

The silence hung thick between the two of you, and you finally pushed yourself up and began walking towards the little kitchenette in the corner of the room.

“It might be awhile before they get to us. Are you hungry?”

* * *

 

“Hey, I uh …”

You glanced up from the book you’d found in one of the cabinets and met Bucky’s eyes. He was sitting on the floor across from you, one knee pulled up and his metal arm resting on it. He licked his lips, then spoke again.

“I never did say thank you for … saving my life and all.”

You smiled.

“You’re welcome.”  
“You didn’t have to go as far as you did, but I … appreciate it.”  
“I couldn’t let you die, Barnes. Who would drive me literally out of my mind with annoyance if you weren’t here?”

Bucky smiled, glancing away. You watched him swallow and you set the book aside.

“What?”

His eyes were wide when he looked to you, and he moved to cross his legs. He took in a breath, then spoke again.

“There wasn’t any kind of … blowback or anything, was it?”  
“What do you mean?”

He swallowed again, pushing a hand through his hair, letting out a shaky breath before lifting his head to look at you.

“I know you gave me your blood, but … did you get any of mine?”

You blinked.

“No.”  
“Are you sure?”

You tilted your head to the side.

“Why are you so worried about it?”  
“Just … you’re sure?”  
“Yes, I’m positive.”

Bucky gave a hard breath of relief, hanging his head and leaning back against the wall. You shook your head as you watched him.

“Why are you so worried about it?”  
“No reason.”  
“I mean, it’s not like you’ve got any disease I can catch. The serum …”

You looked at his face, how hard his features seemed, but the pure shame and pain he couldn’t hide from his eyes. You stood up, walking over to him and sinking down to sit near him on the floor.

“Were you afraid that I’d get the serum somehow?”

Bucky shrugged his powerful shoulders, and you listened to the almost-silent clicks and whirrs of the plates in his arm as he moved it. He wouldn’t look at you, so you continued to softly talk.

“You were afraid some of your blood would get into my veins and … what? I’d become the Winter Soldier, Volume Two?”

Bucky didn’t answer, and you smiled.

“Winter Soldier, New and Improved. Winter Soldier: Better Than Before. Winter Soldier, Should Have Had a Girl to Start With, Because We Get Shit Done.”

Bucky laughed at that, then met your eyes.

“I wouldn’t wish this serum or the Winter Soldier on my worst enemy.”  
“Then I guess I’m good, huh?”

Bucky smiled, but looked down at his hands.

“You’re not my worst enemy.”

You pursed your lips and nodded, looking down at your own hands.

“I’m certainly not your friend.”

Bucky tilted his head towards you.

“We’re not friends?”

You let out a laugh.

“You can’t stand me.”  
“Is that what you think?”  
“If the way you treat me is how you treat one of your friends, I would hate to see what you did to your enemies.”

Bucky looked down at his metal arm and you felt your cheeks grow warm. He was quiet for a moment, before he spoke softly.

“I don’t hate you.”

You swallowed, replying just as softly.

“I don’t hate you, either.”

He lifted his head at the same time you did, and you met his eyes. You gave a soft smile and he did the same, reaching over and brushing your fingers with his metal ones. Your smile widened and you leaned closer to him, moving your fingers closer, falling to your side when a powerful rumble shot through the ground. You looked up to see Bucky hovering over you, covering you with his body and you closed your eyes, ducking your head.

After a few tense seconds, the rumbling stopped. You uncurled yourself from the ball you’d been in and stared up at Bucky.

“What … what was that?”

Bucky shook his head.

“Either the compound was just nuked or …”  
“Bruce has gone green?”

Bucky nodded. He looked down at you and you realized how close the two of you were. You looked into his eyes and saw them darken just a bit and you swallowed.

“Bucky?”

He cleared his throat, moving away from you and getting to his feet, walking from the room. You stayed on the floor on your back, staring up at the ceiling as you blew out a breath.

* * *

 

“How long do you think it’s going to take for them to find us?”

Bucky shrugged. He was pacing around the main room, while you were sitting on the couch.

“People know about this panic room besides Tony, right?”

It was your turn to shrug.

“I think Pepper may know. Or Happy, maybe? One of them, surely.”

Bucky sighed.

“I’m bored.”

You let out a laugh.

“We’ve only been here for a couple of hours.”  
“Feels like days.”  
“Have you always been so restless?”

Bucky smiled.

“Kind of ADHD, Nat says.”

You rolled your eyes.

“She hit the nail on the head with that one.”

Bucky walked over to you and stood in front of the couch you were sitting on.

“Come on.”  
“What?”  
“Let’s spar.”

You let out a laugh.

“Not just ‘no,’ but hell no.”  
“Why not?”

You blinked at him.

“Because the last time we were in a fight together, you left me behind and I got five broken ribs as a result.”

Bucky went still.

“Are you serious?”

You held out your hands.

“You knew I got hurt.”  
“Yeah, but I didn’t know that.”

You rolled your eyes.

“Well, I’m all good now.”  
“I’ll go easy on you.”  
“Bucky, no.”  
“Please? I’m so  _bored_.”

You looked up at him, the whining tone making him seem like a little boy, not a deadly former assassin. You rolled your eyes and got to your feet and Bucky grinned. You held up a hand to him.

“No punching.”  
“Obviously.”  
“Go slow, because I’m rusty.”

Bucky nodded, holding his fists up. You mirrored his stance, leaning out of the way when he slowly moved his arm in a punching motion towards you. You did the same back to him, and he easily moved out of the way.

“Not bad. Twist your wrist while moving your arm. Like this.”

He turned to the side and showed you, and you attempted the move.

“No, hang on.”

He stepped behind you, taking hold of your hand with his, slowly moving it. You closed your eyes at the warmth of him at your back, shaking your head and huffing out a breath.

“You okay?”  
“Yep. Just … trying to focus.”  
“Let’s go again.”

He moved to stand in front of you, slowly punching towards you. You dodged the blow, twisting your wrist like he’d taught you and almost punching him. He laughed, nodding his head, punching a little faster. You easily dodged him again, trying to trip him up by switching your hands, but he was too good.

After a few minutes, both of you were sweaty and breathing hard. Bucky was watching you as you twisted your hair up into a messy bun on top of your head. He swallowed, stepping closer to you and you laughed as you held up a hand.

“Let me breathe for a second.”  
“You think HYDRA will let you breathe when they storm the compound again?”  
“Oh, I didn’t realize Steve had entered the room.”

Bucky laughed, shaking his head.

“You’re pretty good at the hand-to-hand stuff.”  
“Well, I trained with Steve for a good bit.”

Bucky nodded, putting his hands on his hips. You rushed to him, laying your hands on his chest and pushing, laughing when he stumbled backwards, blue eyes wide as he looked to you. You settled into your “fighting stance” that Natasha had taught you and smiled.

“First rule, Barnes. Never let your guard down.”

He slid his tongue along his teeth, giving a soft chuckle.

“That … that was good.”

You relaxed, shrugging your shoulders and turning towards the couch. You gasped when Bucky was suddenly behind you, pushing you forward until you—gently—hit the wall. You shivered when his low voice scratched at your ear.

“Second rule: never turn your back.”

You nodded, eyes closing and a gasping breath escaping your lips when Bucky dipped his head.

“God, you smell good.”

You licked your lips, leaning back into him, taking in another shaky breath as he gently pushed you into the wall a bit more, his hard body surrounding yours.

“Buck—“

You groaned when he pressed his hips forward, and you turned, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him in, lips locking onto his. His hands went to your waist, gripping you tightly. Your lips fought against his, his hands sliding up your body before twisting in your hair.

You let your head fall back and moaned as his lips went to your neck, sucking a dark bruise into your skin before taking hold of your hands and pinning them above your head. His metal hand gripped your wrists tightly enough that you couldn’t break his hold, and you gasped as the fingers of his other hand danced under the hem of your shirt.

“Buck, please.”  
“What?”

You surged forward, pressing your lips to his again, before he let you go and stepped back from you, reaching behind his head and yanking his shirt off. You did the same, reaching for him as soon as your shirt hit the floor. He wrapped his arms around you and you sucked in a breath as the coolness from his metal arm sank into your skin. You pushed your hands into his hair, surprised at how soft it felt, groaning as you all but melted into the warmth of his chest.

You somehow managed to switch your positions, pushing him against the wall and sinking to your knees. Bucky stared at you, lip between his teeth, groaning when your fingers went to the band of his jeans. You undid his belt and popped open the button, dragging the zipper down before tugging his jeans and boxers down enough to let his cock free.

“Holy shit.”

Bucky gave a laugh that quickly trailed into a groan as you wrapped your hand around him, dragging your fist up and down his hard shaft.

“Doc, you … you don’t—“

Bucky’s head fell back against the wall as you took his cock into your mouth, sucking gently as you swirled your tongue around. Bucky groaned, the fingers of his normal hand threading through your hair. You leaned back and let his cock fall out of your mouth with a “pop.”

Bucky took hold of your arms and lifted you to your feet, pushing you back against the wall and kissing your lips. He slid his hand down the front of your jeans, foregoing trying to unbutton or get them off, and you gasped, gripping his arms tightly when his fingers slipped between your legs.

“Damn, baby.”

You took hold of his face, pulling his lips back to yours, moaning into his mouth as the movement of his finger slipping into you sent shivers up and down your spine. He groaned as he slid his teeth over your skin, while two of his thick fingers kept a steady rhythm inside you.

“Bucky please.”

You whimpered at the loss of his fingers as he pulled back, using his shaky metal hand to unbutton your jeans. You kicked them off, sucking in a breath when the cool metal of Bucky’s hand brushed over your breastbone, a mere second before he snapped the front clasp of your bra open.

He groaned as he cupped your breasts in his hands, and you shivered at the sudden contrast, the warmth of one of his palms versus the coolness of his metal hand. You impatiently pushed his jeans further down his hips and he smiled at you, leaning in and kissing you more gently than he ever had as he kicked his jeans off. You sucked in a breath as he picked you up and carried you over to the couch.

You watched him as he laid you back, bracing his metal arm on the back of the couch as he leaned down and kissed you. He lifted his head and you reached up, tracing his mouth with your thumb as you laid your hand against his stubbled cheek.

“It’s been a while.”

Bucky nodded.

“I’ll go slow.”

You nodded, closing your eyes as his lips touched yours again. You took in a breath when Bucky began to slowly push forward, and at one point, you had to stop him.

“Wait. Just—please.”

He stopped, hanging his head and putting his face in your hair. You took in a shaky breath, letting it out slowly, focusing on the way his thumb kept moving in circles against your shoulder, until the stretching and fullness you felt gave way to pleasureable warmth. You nodded and he began to move, both of you groaning with the sensations.

“Fuck, babe. You …”

Bucky groaned, moving his metal hand to your hip, gripping you so tightly you knew there’d be a bruise there tomorrow. You gasped and moaned, breath heaving into and out of your lungs, a grateful groan rising from your throat when Bucky increased his rhythm. You shook your head and Bucky growled, lifting his head and shaking his hair out of his face.

“I want to feel you come.”

Your head fell back to the couch as you groaned, hands diving into his hair and lightly gripping the strands. Bucky’s hips stuttered and you smiled, bringing his lips back to yours and kissing him again, Bucky’s thrusts quickening until you pulled his hair again.

“You’re going … god. Fuck.”

You smiled, gasping as Bucky’s metal hand moved to cup your breast, cold fingers plucking your nipple until it hardened. He slid that hand down between the two of you, flicking your clit with those cold, metal fingers, and you dug your fingers into his back as you came without any warning. Bucky’s rhythm faltered as you tightened around him, and through the rush of blood in your ears, you heard the powerful roar he gave as he followed you over the edge.

* * *

 

You stared at the ceiling, heart still rabbiting against your ribs, Bucky’s arm thrown over your stomach. You were lying on your back on the couch, legs still tingling from your orgasm. Bucky was laying on his stomach beside you, really almost on top of you, metal arm under your head, face in your hair. You could feel his heart pounding just as quickly as yours.

Neither of you had said anything, and to be quite honest, you had no idea where to even begin. You licked dry lips as Bucky lifted his head, and you turned to meet his gaze, blue eyes staring into yours. He just looked at you for a moment, before a smile worked its way onto his lips.

“Hi there.”

You gave a soft laugh.

“Hi.”  
“You okay?”

You nodded, and he shifted just a bit, pulling you closer. You closed your eyes and moved your forehead to rest against his cheek, speaking softly.

“Buck, what does this mean?”  
“Why do you have to ask that question?”

You sighed, turning to stare at the ceiling some more.

“This is … a big deal, Bucky.”  
“So?”  
“‘So?’ All you have to say is ‘ _so_?’”  
“If all I say is ‘so,’ then you have free rein to lose your mind and blow it all out of proportion, which I know you’re just dying to do.”

You blinked, turning your head to meet his eyes again. He shrugged his shoulders.

“You know it’s true.”

You rolled your eyes.

“You think you know me.”  
“I think I know more than you think I do.”  
“Oh, really?”

Bucky pushed himself up to where he could look down at you.

“You love to read. You want to say non-fiction, but you are a fiction junkie. The trashier the romance novel, the better.”

Your eyes widened, but he kept on.

“You cook like a goddamned wizard. You throw shit into a pot and it comes out tasting better than anything I’ve ever tasted. Steve used to sneak me bowls of whatever and put it aside for me when you refused to let me have any.”  
“I have never—“  
“If you could have put up the ‘We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone’ sign you would have, in a heartbeat. And you would have marked out ‘anyone’ and wrote in ‘Bucky.’”

You swallowed, and he smiled.

“Can I continue?”

You nodded, and he went on.

“You like the medical tape that’s only an inch wide instead of the two inch. You think it’s wasteful, plus it gets in your way. You love lemon-scented cleaners, and the citrus or orange-scented ones give you a headache. You love chocolate—except for dark—“

You made a face and he chuckled as he went on.

“And I have been a complete ass to you for no apparent reason.”

You blinked as you met his eyes and he gave a sigh. He moved a hand and brushed some hair off your forehead, then smiled.  

“No, don’t interrupt me. Let me finish.”

You giggled, giving a sigh, lifting a hand to link your fingers with his. He went quiet, and you spoke softly.

“Why have you been such an ass to me?”

Bucky huffed out a breath, dancing his metal fingers over your knuckles. He lifted his head to look into your eyes.

“The truth?”  
“Please.”

He sighed, glancing at your entwined hands before looking back to your eyes.

“Because I’ve been wanting this to happen since the first time I laid eyes on you.”

Your eyes widened and he smiled as he ran his other hand over his eyes.

“Don’t look so shocked.”  
“Seriously?”  
“You don’t have to say anything. Steve’s already torn me a new one.”  
“Steve knows?”

Bucky dropped his hand, lifting an eyebrow at you. You rolled your eyes.

“Of course Steve knows.”  
“Steve knows everything about me.”

You pursed your lips, trying to hide your smile.

“Does he know you have that freckle right there by your—”  
“Don’t even.”

You laughed, hands moving to Bucky’s biceps—one smooth skin, one surprisingly smooth metal—as he moved over you, shifting where he could look down at you.

“Can we start over?”

You gave a quiet laugh.

“You think we can? I’ve been pretty awful to you, too.”

Bucky shrugged his powerful shoulders.

“I’m willing to give it a shot if you are.”

You pursed your lips, but instead of giving the snarky comment you wanted to say, Bucky leaned down and pressed his lips to yours. You let your hands come up, fingers sliding into his silky smooth hair, tightening slightly when he deepened the kiss.

“Doc? Buck, are you here?”

Bucky pulled away from you, tilting his head.

“That wasn’t …”

You shook your head.

“You didn’t hear …”

Bucky met your eyes just as the door burst open.

“Oh my god!”

You covered your eyes with your hands and Bucky burst out laughing. Steve turned his back to you, hands on his hips as he hung his head. Tony cleared his throat and Bucky glanced over his shoulder.

“Can you give us a minute, guys?”

Tony slowly nodded, turning around and shaking his head.

“This is  _not_ what I meant this panic room for.”  
“Can you see if F.R.I.D.A.Y. can wipe this from my brain? I can’t unsee that, Tony.”  
“You and me both, Cap.”

Bucky crawled off of you, gently pulling your hands from your eyes. You met his eyes, seeing the smile on his face.

“Real funny, Barnes.”  
“I just can’t get over the fact that Stark and Steve come running in, catch us buck-ass naked, and your first thought is to cover YOUR EYES.”

You laughed at that, reaching a hand up. Bucky laced his fingers through yours and helped you sit up, and you pushed a hand through your hair. He gave you a smile and you tugged on his hand until he leaned forward.

“How much time do you think we have?”

Bucky raised an eyebrow a second before a smile broke over his face. He leaned in, both of you closing your eyes as his lips inches closer to yours.

_“Don’t even think about it! We have to burn the damn panic room as it is! Get some clothes on and get the hell to your own rooms!”_

You and Bucky laughed, and you closed the gap between you, throwing your arms around his neck and kissing him.


End file.
